AUTO HISTORY
Ford’s Ranchero was introduced to the public in 1957 - a truck as luxurious as a fine passenger car.
Before pickup trucks gradually evolved into their own more rugged form in the late 1930s and '40s, most were based on cars. Examples of pre-war sedan-based pickups were produced by Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge. Some, like Ford, Chevrolet, Hudson and Studebaker also marketed that they called the coupe-pickup, a coupe car with a drawer-like cargo box that slid out of the trunk.
Studebaker's Coupe Express wasn't revived after the war but Hudson did bring back its handsome car-based pickup which it built until 1947. It became uneconomic in 1948 when Hudson switched to unit construction cars.
As pickup trucks became more heavy duty and utilitarian, the North American sedan-pickup languished for a decade, apart briefly from tiny Crosley which was too small to be practical.
In 1957 Ford resurrected the sedan pickup with its stylish Ranchero, a smart looking car-truck based on a Ford station wagon chassis. It was even more car-like than the Hudsons and Studebaker had been, and the lack of a break between the cab and the cargo box became a defining sedan-pickup characteristic.
Apart from its practical side as a conveyance for businessmen and merchants, Ford hoped it would subliminally appeal to the suburban man who imagined himself a rugged ranch owner or perhaps a gentleman farmer. For women Ford was hoping to awaken a dormant desire to escape suburbia for the freedom and open spaces of country life where she would be the matron of the spread.
Although Ford beat rival Chevrolet's El Camino to market by two years with its sedan-pickup, General Motors had really taken a step toward the concept a couple of years earlier with the 1955 Chevrolet Cameo Carrier (and twin GMC Suburban twin) based on a regular pickup.
It was trimmed with more chrome and a special red-and-white paint treatment. The cargo box had bolt-on sculpted plastic sides that carried through to the rear of the truck where it finished off with car-like tail-lights and concealed tailgate hinges.
Although made for only three years and not selling in large numbers, the Cameo laid the groundwork for fashionable pickups. But it was still truck-based, and that's where the Ranchero broke new ground.
The Ranchero was built on the 2946 mm (116 in.) Ford Custom Sedan/station wagon wheelbase. And since its introduction coincided with completely restyled longer-lower-wider 1957 Fords it arrived with a completely fresh appearance.
Being derived from the two-door wagon, the Ranchero's tailgate was formed from the lower part of the wagon's rear door. And since Ford, like Chevrolet, already offered a wagon-based light commercial sedan-delivery model, transition to the Ranchero was relatively easy.
Under the front-hinged hood was the corporate overhead valve, 3.6-litre (223 cu in.) 144-horsepower in-line six. Optional was a 4.5-litre (272 cu in.) overhead valve V8. A few came with 5.1 (312) V8s, some with four-barrel carburetors and even supercharging. Transmissions were a three-speed manual, with optional overdrive or “Fordomatic. “
Being based on a passenger vehicle allowed Ranchero buyers to equip it with such then untrucklike luxuries as air conditioning and power brakes, steering, seats and windows. It also had a wraparound windshield, a popular styling feature of the day.
Ford offered the Ranchero in several two-tone colour combinations. From the tops of the windows to the mid-point of the body was Colonial White, and buyers could specify such companion colors as Doeskin Tan, Flame Red or Inca Gold for the roof and lower body. Extra flash could be had in the form of a gold anodized side-spear trim.
The Ranchero's advertising theme concentrated on its dual purpose capabilities. "After the day's work is done, Ranchero's ready for the evening fun," went the copy. Or, "...a handsome caller...a husky hauler." And indeed with its six-foot (1829 mm) bed and carrying capacity of 540 kg (1190 lb), the Ranchero was quite a utilitarian vehicle. They became de rigueur for gentlemen farmers.
It even had exposure on the silver screen in April Love, a 1957 movie in which Pat Boone wooed the lovely Shirley Jones (in song, of course, this was the 1950s) in a Ford Ranchero. The stylish Ranchero was a real scene stealer.
In spite of being introduced in November, 1956, which gave it a shortened model year, Ford sold a respectable 21,706 1957 Rancheros. They also produced a Meteor version in Canada.
After only three years on the full-size chassis, the 1960 Ranchero was switched to the new compact Falcon platform. It would later be based on the FairlaneTorino, and finally the Gran Torino-LTD II before its demise in 1979.
Although Chevrolet's El Camino competitor arrived in 1959, Ford had shown the way in 1957, proving it was possible to build a truck that was as luxurious as a passenger car.